Anglinarcher

Never used it, but most slow cure epoxy products hold up over time and most fast cure get brittle and yellow over time. If it is fully cured in 30, I suspect it will yellow in about one year. If 30 minutes is the working time, it should be good.

I am honored to be a newbie, just like you jigmeister. So, 10+ years, 1577 post, 82 days "won", 7 different "badge" categories, and I am a newbie. Ye Ha. Moderators???? How many "Grand Masters" do we have and what did they do to win this honor? For that matter, do we have anyone over newbie??????? Moderators, enquiring minds want to know!

I have an interesting idea. Larry Dahlberg (Freshwater and Saltwater Hall of Fame, Host of the TV Show Hunt for Big Fish, etc., etc) is the one that actually created and patented Flashabo. He can be be contacted directly on a web site called http://asklarry.huntforbigfish.com/. He is also a very good lure maker and designer himself (Whopper Plopper, Dahlberg Diver, Mr. Wiggley, Dahlberg Diving Frog, etc.). Best yet, he loves to teach and is very very free with lure building information and knowledge. You can go to Makelure.com to see some of his videos. My suggestion, ASK HIM.

Never seen one.

Remember that Pledge was designed for floors, so a cleaner works better for floors when you do your floors over and over. We are using Pledge "off label". So, in reality, the modern Pledge is better, for floors, but not for hobbyist.

First, the source and material. I just by the shafts with one end closed and the other I close with my wire bender. https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Looped-End-Wire-Shafts As for diameter, I use a micrometer (analog or digital) and measure spinners that are close to what I want to make. I think you will find that there is quite a range. For example, Rooster Tail used a much thinner wire than any other spinner of that size, but when the bend, and the bend often, they are useful only to cut apart for materials. For material, I don't worry about it when I buy the premade shafts. If you buy the coils from the same company, like lurepartsonline.com, it will be the right stuff. For whatever it is worth, it is spring stainless steel. https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Stainless-Steel-Wire-coils To me, diameter of wire is not that critical. If you have a large enough, but not too large, clevis you can use a range of wire sizes. I find that .062 wire is a bit large for most bass lures, but I use it for Muskie/pike spinners a lot. But, as you mentioned, bendability is an issue. If it bends, but springs back to shape, great, use it. If it bends, but takes a set and has to be re-bent back into shape, you will not enjoy it much.

I am not sure how to compare sizes or styles between our two areas. I try to use these: https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Easy-Spin-Clevises Size 1, .030", use on smaller baits typically 1/4oz or smaller These are fair blades to use. https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Painted-Colorado-Blades But, when you can get the right size, this is the type of Colorado Blade I prefer: https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Premium-Painted-Deep-Cup-Blades I am glad you got some to work, but I have trouble getting blades smaller than size 3, once in a while a size 2.

Createx opaque is pigment mixed into an acrylic medium, so using MinWax polyacrylic is essentially doing just that. The one they sell as the original intercoat is the acrylic. The new one that is better for Candy is one I have not used. I do know that to spray MinWax Polyacrylic you need to mix in 15% water. It does dry extremely clear. It will protect chrome paint and prevent it from turning gray when you clear coat it. The original Pledge is so much in demand it is demands up to $50 a bottle, a partial bottle, in the internet. The new Pledge has a cleaner in it so it can/does turn chromes and silvers grey. The original Pledge did/does protect chrome before clear coating. Holloway House "Quick Shine" dries super clear, and will also protect chrome from becoming grey. I see no reason that any of the above would not work. I don't know about the others. Hope this helps some.

I agree on all accounts. The old things I copied just used a weighted swimbait type hook to provided the "keel effect". I used a swimbait style, weight on the hook shank, jig hook bend if you will. This is a fun subject. I use to make, and buy, and use a lot of buzz baits. I swear that while they are not going to get you the most fish on most days, they sure do catch bigger fish in general.

Your point about straightening the bend is true, but it does not happen often, and normally takes several fish. In my case, I make some (somewhere I have them in storage) that are completely straight. There is no way to straighten what is already straight. I think that the downward bend is done to "put the lure" in the water more, or to convince the fisherman that it is. Does it matter? I don't know that it does. Bill Dance once pushed a buzz bait that had a long wire between the R bend and the hook, maybe 12". I have a couple still today, and except for the fact that it takes a bit to learn to cast them, having the hook a distance behind the blade seems to work very well. In fact, I suspect now that any short strikes on Buzz Baits are because the fish gets the hook lost in the wake of the blade, so perhaps the R Bend is better overall. Still, my straight model (a copy of an old one I saw as a kid) with hook weighted so it has hook up, will pull over emergent vegetation that other styles won't even get close to getting over. I guess that is why I have so many different ones. Want to talk about all the different blades, double, tri, quad, plastic, aluminum, steel, ....... never mind.

Good answers all. I have used the GoPro will some good success. The Water Wolf is what a friend uses. PS, more than bass and trout will hit the camera, catfish will, trout and kokanee also will hit it. In the past I used an underwater camera like what a lot use for ice fishing. You can set the camera just above the water and cast past it. Of course, you can hire a diver and....................OK, I can't afford that either.

I keep going back to this archived web site from across the pond. They specialize in wooden baits so the patterns that they give can help. http://www.lurebuilding.nl/indexeng.html Click on crankbait, jerkbaits or Surface. Inside that tab are more options. These are proven lures so that should get you started.

Try one with just the gold first, adding the beads, and make one up with the same painted one you have with the additional beads. The painting may make no difference.

It's not the weight, it is the angle of the blade relative to the width of the body and first couple of beads. On your 2nd from the left and the third, you have a micro bead than a small brass bead. Add at least one, maybe two. Below that hoj can add your weight back in. Your blades may be part of the problem. They looked like you painted them, so how much heavier are they than original. If the weight is too much, it slows down the spin. It would probably need to be 30% or more heavier than before the added paint. You are close, very close. Someday I will take the time to draw this out and take a picture. But, right now, I don't have a sketch to help you with.

Ya, those style blades are great. I find myself using them more and more.